Boeing Reaches Settlement with Man Whose Family Perished in Ethiopian Airlines Crash
Boeing has agreed with a Canadian man of Kenyan heritage, Paul Njoroge, whose wife and three children tragically lost their lives in a 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash. This settlement, reached on Friday, prevents the commencement of a trial related to the catastrophic incident that resulted in the global grounding of Max aircraft.
A jury trial was scheduled to begin on Monday in a federal court in Chicago to assess damages for Njoroge. His family was en route to Kenya in March 2019 on Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 when the aircraft malfunctioned and crashed, claiming the lives of all 157 individuals on board.
At 41 years old, Njoroge had intended to share how the tragedy has impacted his life. He has been unable to return to his home in Toronto due to the painful memories associated with it, has struggled to find employment, and has faced criticism from relatives for not being on the flight with his family.
According to Njoroge’s attorney, Robert Clifford, “He’s experiencing complicated grief and sorrow, along with significant emotional distress. He is plagued by nightmares and the profound loss of his wife and children.”
Clifford indicated that Njoroge aimed to seek “millions” in damages for the loss of his family but refrained from disclosing a specific figure before the trial.
The specifics of the settlement have not been made public.
In 2021, Boeing acknowledged its responsibility for the Ethiopian crash in an agreement with the victims’ families, which permitted them to file individual claims in U.S. courts rather than in their home countries. Victims from 35 different nations were among those who perished. Several families have already reached settlements, though the terms of those agreements remain undisclosed.
The aircraft, which was bound for Nairobi, lost control shortly after taking off from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport and nosedived into an uninhabited area.
Investigators concluded that the crash was caused by a system that relied on a faulty sensor, which provided incorrect readings and forced the plane’s nose downward, preventing the pilots from regaining control. Following the incident, Max jets were grounded globally until Boeing redesigned the problematic system.
Earlier this year, Boeing also reached an agreement with the Justice Department to avoid criminal charges related to the crash.
Among the deceased were Njoroge’s wife, Carolyne, and their three young children: Ryan, aged 6; Kellie, aged 4; and Rubi, who was just 9 months old, making her the youngest victim of the crash. Njoroge also lost his mother-in-law, whose family is pursuing a separate legal case.
At the time of the crash, Njoroge was residing in Canada, having met his wife during their college years in Nairobi. He had planned to travel to Kenya to join his family at a later date.
